How Could You
by thejudgingtrash
Summary: Annabeth thought she had torn up every picture of him, that she had hidden every evidential piece of their relationship. Not only did it hurt losing your one true love. Knowing that they are successful, thriving and happily in love with another person made it even worse. Knowing you could have been that woman in your ex's life. In Percy's life. Rated T/M for adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

**HOW COULD YOU**

**Summary**: Annabeth thought she had torn up every picture of him, that she had hidden every evidential piece of their relationship. Not only did it hurt losing your one true love. Knowing that they are successful, thriving and happily in love with another person made it even worse. Knowing you could have been that woman in your ex's life. In Percy's life. **Rated T/M for adult themes.**

**Hi! This is Mel :) After all these years I'm back with another story. This short story is a very loose continuation of my old one-shot **_**His Warning**_** where Poseidon and Annabeth have a little talk about a certain demigod. **

**Thanks to asianboiwithmath for being my beta. If something seems odd, blame them. Not me.**

**Be warned, this story contains adult themes although not explicitly portrayed.**

* * *

_**HOW **COULD YOU 1/3_

Annabeth Chase was walking to her workplace in Lower Manhattan. She clutched her coffee in one hand while the other pressed her designer bag towards her body – it's New York after all and you never know. Her blonde curls were hiding in a tight bun which made her look like any other snob on the small island.

The woman was in her early thirties and her career as an architect was finally taking off. Her boss let her hire her own secretary and gave her a thumbs-up for her own projects. She even had her own polished office while many of her peers were marching towards their forties and still stuck in cubicles. Her boss hinted offering her a senior partnership.

Annabeth ignored the catcalling and the loud car honking. _Good morning to you too, NYC._

She was in luck, no pesky monsters in sight. Annabeth's trace got weaker with every newly completed birthday. Sure, she had to kill a monster here and there and even helped out new demigods, but it had been weeks of peace and quietness by now. Her heels led her to an impressing skyscraper. Mitch, the doorman, nodded and pressed the right button to the 34th floor. Annabeth took the last sip of her coffee right before her 10-hour shift. No one was waiting for her at home, she didn't have animals, plants or a man to take care of.

She had been single for the past few years, yes, but that didn't mean she was living the celibate life of a nun. She had two or three relationships which never lasted longer than half a year, a couple of drunken flings and even a work affair which resulted in her colleague getting relocated to the office in San Diego. Gossip spread fast but also died out pretty quickly. But whenever she thought about a romantic relationship, or sex or even a simple friendship with another man, someone else haunted her thoughts immediately. _Percy_.

Annabeth chucked the crumpled paper cup into the trash bin and fired up her computer. She refused to think about her loner life, she refused to think about _him_. Eight hours and a one-hour lunch break later, her piercing gray eyes started to analyze her environment.

"I should redecorate," she thought loudly. Her workspace had looked the same for the past two years. E-mails were checked, work was low, and no one would barge into her office. Her boss was already gone. She went through her desk, stacked papers, discarded notes and threw irrelevant stuff out. A picture slid out of a folder. Annabeth picked it up. It was a selfie of her and Percy; they were sipping cocktails, smiling into the camera, while the wind was playing with their hair.

Suddenly Annabeth grew a lump in her throat. They had a last happy small vacation in Montauk six years ago. A year later and everything was over. Percy looked good. Happy. He was way too handsome for his own good. His jet-black hair was long and unkept, his beard hugged his face perfectly and luckily through a well-chosen angle Annabeth had the opportunity of ogling his body one last time before shoving that damned picture into her bag. Her college friends used to ask whether Percy was a Greek model or actor or something like that. "He is basically a Greek God," she always replied jokingly. _But he gave that up. For me._

Her eyes started to burn; she suppressed a sob. _No, not here_, she told herself. _Not in the office_. Annabeth refused to cry. She threw herself into work for one last hour, revising designs for a new library in Queens before calling herself an Uber. Once she got into her new way too expensive West Village apartment and closed the door, the blonde began sliding down to the floor in the darkness. And there she wept for solid fifteen minutes.

"Fuck," she cried. The daughter of Athena thought she had torn up every picture of him, that she had hidden every evidential piece of their relationship. Not only did it hurt losing your one true love. Knowing that they are successful, thriving and happily in love with another person made it even worse. Knowing you could have been that woman in your ex's life.

Annabeth got up and walked through her messy apartment. She needed alcohol. Badly. Two glasses of red wine didn't stop the tears from coming, however. No, they only made the suppressed memories come back even harder.

* * *

Their relationship was a whirlwind. No doubt in that. And with the wind came cracks that slowly tore through the foundation. Sure, three big prophecies did bind them together. They went from kids to teenagers to adults, from acquaintances to friends to lovers. Their troubles and fun adventures, their bickering, Percy going missing and deep traumas from Tartarus kept them together. When their separation made its waves years later, they never would've thought they had ordinary adulthood partially to blame.

The fine cracks started to form when they turned 18. Looking back now, Annabeth knew someone was intervening from behind the scenes. Denying her own faults was something Annabeth couldn't do. The choices Percy and she had made were followed by consequences.

The demigoddess desperately tried to convince Percy to go to New Rome with her. To live a happy normal life, to have a semi-normal college experience. A life without being chased by monsters, a life among their peers and new friends from the Roman side of the family tree.

But Percy refused. New York City was his home. His mother and his newborn sister lived there; he couldn't just abandon them. It didn't matter how welcoming the Roman side was – he was Greek through and through and he reminded her that the rest of the seven were merely acquaintances tossed together by a sick prophecy and not lifelong best friends. Camp Half-Blood would be his priority. Not Camp Jupiter.

So, they argued and decided. Annabeth grudgingly went to NYU and got her degree in Urban Design and Architectural Studies while Percy did his double degree in Pastry and Baking Arts and Culinary Management at the Institute of Culinary Education. It came out as a surprise to many other demigods that the son of Poseidon had enough of water. The Stoll Brothers were betting on either him getting a Marine Biology degree or becoming a high school coach. The duo lost a good chunk of money. But Percy wanted to help out his mother in her bakery and truly enjoyed her passion.

The couple moved together into their shitty tiny apartment as 20-year old's. Their landlord conveniently forgot to inform them about a roach infestation and overcharged their rent each month. Annabeth woke up almost every morning to Percy hysterically laughing and picking up dead insects out of her messy curls.

Debt, school, more credit card debt, monsters, more college classes, demanding internships, roaches and annoying commands from the Gods of Mount Olympus dominated their lives. Frederick Chase and Sally Jackson tried to convince both of them to move into something better, they wanted to give them more money for something more comfortable. The couple remained stubborn and refused their money. Their romance and sex life were on an all-time low.

_Is this really the life I want?_ Annabeth asked herself as she was watching Netflix with Percy. He fell asleep and started to drool a little bit. _No_, a voice in her head said. But she wasn't sure whether it was her voice or someone else's. _You deserve better_. Days passed and more and more doubt spread through Annabeth's mind. _Yes, I do deserve better_.

Regrets about not leaving to New Rome popped up. Regrets about getting that specific apartment. Regrets about her recent thoughts. Regrets about questioning Percy. Regrets about not questioning Percy's decisions enough. Tension spread and they began to fight. They fought about money, they fought about their future. They fought about California and New York. They fought about their career choices. They made up quickly and blamed it on exams and tests, but the negative sentiment remained for weeks. It wasn't for another year when the demigod couple had a massive fall out.

Annabeth had been out of school for a couple of months. Of course, the daughter of Athena had graduated with summa cum laude. The demigoddess was managing a prestigious yet underpaid internship and working as a fucking Starbucks barista at the same time. She knew her mother was disapproving from afar. Annabeth would do the same thing. Unfortunately, the real world didn't work as she had imagined. Her precious degree meant nothing without the right kind of work experience and her work for Olympus couldn't be used as references. Percy still had a year to go and worked at his mother's place in the meantime. At least he didn't have to slave away his entire life although waking up early and going late to bed was taking a toll on him.

A few weeks after her 23rd birthday a terrifying thought haunted her. _My period. I haven't received my period yet._ She was almost five weeks over according to her menstrual cycle tracking app. Panic grew. _No, not now_, she pleaded. She couldn't bear Percy's child. Not - _you can't bear his child now? Or you don't want to bear his child ever, _the voice in her head suggested.

"Stop it! Just fucking stop!" the daughter of Athena screamed and pressed her hands on her ears.

"Shit!" It was her last day off in months and now she had to waste it with this _shit_. A possible child. _No_.

She bought three pregnancy tests from different brands and carefully read the instructions. Annabeth set the timer on her iPhone to five minutes and let the tests soak up a little bit of her urine. _Oh, please gods, don't let this happen to me! Not now!_

She fought her tears back and tried to remain calm.

* * *

Percy came home from a long shift. He was the unofficial number two at his mom's bakery which meant whenever Sally had to leave early to attend Estelle, he had to stay to make up for it. And the two new interns really got to his nerves.

"No, Swiss Meringue Buttercream doesn't need equal parts salt to sugar! Alannah, keep stirring or else the caramel will be burning, and you can buy us a new set of pots. Leigh, did you actually toss all that salt into the fucking batter?! We have only two hours left before the customer comes to pick up the order! I said beat it to stiff peaks! _Stiff! _Is this stiff according to you?!"

He slowly peeled out of his uniform and ran his fingers through his hair. A five-minute shower let him regain a little bit of his energy. He only wanted to cook some quick dinner, cuddle up Annabeth and sleep for presumably the next five and a half hours if possible. He had to get up at 4 am again. The young pastry chef changed into more comfortable clothes and went straight to the cooking niche.

"Percy…" Annabeth sounded coarse; her eyes bloodshot. Like she'd cried for hours.

"Wise Girl, what's wrong?!" A thousand things came to his mind. _Annoying customers, her overdemanding boss at the architect firm, a new prophecy issued by Lord Zeus himself_.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered and gave him the tiny stick. It was a pregnancy test. And it was positive. His sea green eyes widened. A _baby_. He would be having a baby with Annabeth!

He pulled her into an embrace and twirled her through the room. "But Annabeth… This is good news!"

His girlfriend was appalled. "Good news?!" she barked. "The career that I've been planning for about half my life time is going nowhere, we haven't seen our group of friends in months, Grover is fighting the worst cases of pollution on his own, we're trapped in this shitty rat nest we call an apartment, have crippling amounts of debts and you think tossing a child into this fucking mess is _good news_?!" She pushed him away from her and plopped onto the worn-out sofa.

"I'm sorry… what? I know times are rough, but we've managed so far and with this child-"

Annabeth laughed bitterly. This child shouldn't exist. It would ruin what was left of their pitiful relationship. Of that she was sure.

"We've managed nothing so far, _Perseus_." Percy forgot how cold her eyes could appear if she really wanted to. He winced. "We've only managed to avoid each other and our issues. We communicate through fighting and ignoring each other. We've mastered that skill rather fast." She shook her blonde curls as he opened his mouth to disagree. "No. You need to eat and I'm tired. I'm off to bed." She left him and his thoughts alone.

"Fuck" he muttered through his teeth and kept staring towards their closed bedroom door. The pregnancy test was still in his hand, the result started to fade. The son of Poseidon grabbed his phone out of his pocket. **We need to have a serious discussion tomorrow**, he texted.

* * *

Four days later and Sally invited Annabeth to a quick lunch after her barista shift. Estelle was a little energetic six-year-old that always made Annabeth smile. And now having a baby with Percy – _no_. She couldn't. They couldn't. Maybe in the future, but not now.

"How are you feeling?" Sally asked and took a sip of her tea.

"So, you and Percy have talked?" Annabeth stated. Sally sighed. _Of course, they did_.

"Look, Anna! I made these!" Estelle was running through the living room and showed her a wax crayon painting which featured her, Percy, Sally, Paul, and Lord Poseidon.

Yes, Lord Poseidon had met Estelle and bestowed his blessing upon his former lover and her current husband. Estelle was probably the only mortal allowed to call him "Uncle Posy." Annabeth roughened her hair a little bit which made Estelle giggle.

"You did a great job, little one." Sally watched their interaction and smiled. Annabeth really grew into her small family.

"Yes. I'm pregnant." Annabeth said as Estelle ran towards the TV to watch SpongeBob SquarePants.

"But you're not happy?" Tears ran down Annabeth's face.

"I wish I was. But with our space, our limited income, our schedules and a crippling amount of debt. We can't." Sally grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly.

"Annabeth, I'm sure we all can figure something out. If you'd only let your father and I help you out a little bit-"

Shaking her head, Annabeth pulled her hand away. "I've been the one to fight my own battles ever since I was seven. I'm not letting anyone else decide my fate. Never again. I have to do this alone."

Sally nodded. She understood her struggles. The older woman was in the same position as Poseidon had offered her to build a palace in Atlantis and to fight her battles for her. "But remember… Percy is also involved in this." Annabeth looked to the bottom of her cup. Her mirror image was brown, washed up and looked depressed.

"This child has to go." A decision was made. Another week passed. Annabeth had made an appointment with her OBGYN to discuss options. Six weeks almost closing in to seven.

Percy didn't find Annabeth later that evening. She had to work a nightshift at her internship. They were discussing designs and the math behind it with engineers apparently. He was absolutely against it now that she was with his child, but it was Annabeth and she was a force to be reckoned with. They hadn't had another discussion. But when Percy put his pajamas on, he saw a bunch of flyers on Annabeth's nightstand. Normally he wouldn't have let his curiosity get the best of him, but this wasn't a normal situation. What he found were infographics, her doctor's recommendations, and a brochure from Planned Parenthood. His dyslexia gave him a little bit of a fight, but he fought through the papers.

**Stages of pregnancy termination by semesters. Fetal development. Abortion procedures. Types of abortion**. His heart sank to the floor.

* * *

The day had come. They sat quietly in Sally's Prius in the parking lot. "Let's go." They had long talks.

In the end Percy just mumbled, "It's your body and your choice" which Annabeth replied to with "Yes, I know."

Their nerves had been wrecked. Annabeth almost lost her job at Starbucks because morning sickness kicked in. Percy lashed out at the bakery. He was very close to graduating and the pressure was on. And now? They didn't even call themselves Wise Girl or Seaweed Brain anymore. Now it was you, Annabeth, Chase, Percy, Jackson and occasionally _Perseus_.

Percy waited outside the entire procedure. Annabeth didn't want him to witness it. After Annabeth came out, they held each other tight. "Alright," he mumbled into her hair and kissed her forehead. Annabeth nodded and held his hand. Silently they arrived at their place which was the time Annabeth finally broke down. Percy knew, he understood. She cried out of _relief_.

The next few weeks they communicated silently. Annabeth grew out of her shell rather quickly while Percy succumbed to it. Every time she touched him, he recoiled. He wasn't affectionate anymore. He remained silent and focused on his final exams and his thesis. Annabeth didn't fight back. She knew that deep down there would be a part that would forever hate her. The demigoddess felt the same albeit that part inside of her being very small. Her body was healing, her mental state was fine so far. But Percy… his wasn't. The worst part was one night when he plopped down on the sofa with empty eyes. And he opened his first beer. Annabeth tried to intervene and take the cans away. Percy just bought more. And more.

The blonde was horrified. "You swore to never drink! What-" He laughed darkly.

"I swore many things."

His loyalty shifted; he truly didn't care. He reached for beer number five on that evening when Annabeth finally intervened.

"Stop it! You'll end up like your fucking _step-father_!" Her eyes grew with horror as she realized what she had said. She covered her mouth, but it was too late. Her boyfriend stared at her, his beautiful eyes burning full of hatred.

"Do not _ever_ compare me with that abusive piece of shit." He grabbed his coat, left the apartment and slammed the door shut before she could make matters worse. Percy was walking around the blocks nearby, sobering up and clearing his mind.

"Fuck," he muttered. He heard hooves clopping, although they were not the kind of noise satyr hooves produced. A group of empousai made their way through the neighborhood. The son of Poseidon had riptide already in his hands. The monsters didn't see it coming. He let all of his aggression out on them. Then he searched the neighborhood to slay more of them.

Percy stayed at Sally's apartment the next week. Annabeth tried to contact him several times, but he just shut her off. Whenever she called his mother, Sally would only let out a sigh. "Annabeth, let him cool down a little bit. Please. The both of you need some rest."

The daughter of Athena didn't want to accept it. But she may have lost Percy forever. _No, we went through Tartarus, we'll go through this rough patch together. It'll be fine._

She left the house as an earthquake hit her. _I have warned you_. The voice in her head definitely belonged to Lord Poseidon. Car alarms went off, birds and other animals fled. People on the street started panicking and looking for covers. Annabeth remembered his warning. _Should my only son suffer because of you… I will not rest._

"I AM SORRY!" The daughter of Athena screamed. "Please Lord Poseidon! Percy wouldn't want this!" The earth calmed down quickly. Annabeth hoped Lord Poseidon wouldn't actually go out of his way to kill her. She knew he could at any time. No one could afford a war with a murderous Sea Lord.

Percy graduated with honors and became a full regular pastry chef at his mother's place. Annabeth finally received the offer of a junior position at her internship. But every time they kissed, every time they hugged… Percy did nothing. Said nothing.

When Percy let her know of his decision to finally move out and break up with her, it didn't came as a surprise to her. Of course, they hugged. They shed tears together. They watched their favorite Netflix comedy one time. The former lovers were mourning their failed relationship.

"I'm sorry," Percy said. His sea green eyes were dull and tired.

"Don't be." Annabeth tried to crack a smile. "We'll always be friends." To their friends it came out as a shock. They didn't know the entire story and couldn't paint the entire picture. Annabeth and Percy were always the golden dream couple that would settle down, pop out a couple of kids and live a happy yet hectic life somewhere in Spanish Harlem. Grover and Juniper contacted both immediately.

"It's really fine." Annabeth said as Piper, Hazel, Clarisse, Nyssa, Reyna, and Juniper sat down in her new favorite coffee shop. She had to find a new one because she didn't want to disturb Percy's working space. _Or I just don't want to see my ex and I'm a coward who doesn't want to admit it…_ Her demigod friends met up as soon as possible with her.

"It's fine, you know." Piper's warm brown eyes scanned her. Lying about emotions to a daughter of Aphrodite was a stupid mistake but the blonde couldn't help herself. The others also could tell the pain really wore her down. But Piper understood.

Jason and she broke up years ago during Zeus' cruel punishment of Apollo. Dakota and him coming out as a couple in their early twenties and starting their wedding planner business together was a true surprise for all parties involved but people managed just fine after a while. Piper and Jason remained best friends and Piper recommended his business to lots of people she knew. Dakota remained hooked on Kool-Aid and luckily didn't succumb to wine like his father Bacchus. He was more a cocaine type of guy.

"Of course, it's going to hurt. You've known each other for almost twelve years. It's okay. It's okay to grieve about that part of yours." That was the time when Annabeth finally opened up and broke down in front of them. The breakup has spread its way through the camps and even Mount Olympus.

She had a demigod dream that night. Something she hadn't had in years. She recognized a part of the new Olympian library she had redesigned. Her mother Athena stood there; proudly in full godly height next to a lectern studying ancient scriptures.

"You did well, daughter. The son of the sea scum didn't deserve you. Bearing his child wouldn't have made any difference."

"What? How could you say something like this after all these years? After all we went through and after everything Percy had sacrificed for Olympus?"

Athena shook her head in disappointment. "You will realize one day. This pain is worth it. It shall guide you to new successes in life. Use this gift." With a wave of her hands she catapulted Annabeth back into an imageless dream.

Percy was going through similar things. Annabeth yelling at him for drinking was a wakeup call. It made him realize how unhappy he was. How unhappy _she_ was. He didn't blame her. He blamed _himself_. Their lack of communication was abysmal considering years of partnership and now he has removed himself from the situation entirely. The son of Poseidon still loved her, but sometimes love was not enough. The break-up took his toll on him first but now he was flourishing at work. His mother said nothing. Percy knew Sally was disappointed. Estelle was unhappy about not seeing Annabeth as much. Annabeth ceased the contact more and more.

The demigod gang was scattered around the country. He visited Nico and Will recently in their cabin in the woods in Maine. Their three cats Percy, Apollo Jr., and Death Eater hated him. Percy felt the same. He visited New Rome shortly after visiting a client for a gala event. Hazel hugged him and Frank promised to take them all out for dinner after work. Percy even visited Chiron back at Camp Half-Blood.

"Percy, it is good seeing you," his old mentor said as they strolled through the large camp areas.

"How are you?"

The demigod ignored all the stares and whispers from the new kids that have learned about his legacy. "I wish I could say I was fine."

Chiron nodded. He understood and directed the conversation back to camp matters.

Annabeth's biggest regret was not contacting Sally. Her visits to the bakery stopped. She wanted to say hi, hug her. The stubborn young architect made her way to the bakery once. As she saw Percy outside helping to unload a truck she marched right back home. After that she decided phone calls were the best option. And then they fizzled out as well and the occasional birthday and Christmas card with a delicious blue cupcake was all that remained. Annabeth knew that Sally would greet her with open arms, but her loyalty would always remain with her son. The daughter of Athena was selfish, but not to that extent.

* * *

**Let me know what you think! And you can also stalk my lazy Tumblr. It's also thejudgingtrash (:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi there! **

**Thank you for sticking around on this one!**

** Anonymously96**** & ****Devildogg20: thank you for your comments! Yeah, Poseidon is a mighty one. And you will soon see that this story might go in a different direction...**

** AdmetoUltor14: thank you for your kind words :)**

**Anyway, let's move on with the actual content. This is going to be fun. Trust me.**

* * *

_HOW _**_COULD _**_YOU 2/3_

_**Two years later**_

* * *

Piper had invited all of the girls to L.A. for a spa weekend on her 26th birthday. The friendship of the demigods grew throughout the years despite being separated by distance. Piper prepared for her engagement party to her mortal boyfriend Evan which was scheduled the next day. Evan was an aspiring actor that had managed to get his first big gig with his own show on Amazon.

To celebrate the exciting news, he proposed to her a month earlier on his uncle's yacht. "And around summer of next year… We'll be pronounced husband and wife," Piper sighed delightfully. "You guys have to be my bridesmaids!" The women accepted the assigned roles of course. Hazel promised to design her jewelry for her wedding dress. Her jewelry brand had been taking off in the past few years.

"How many guests are you inviting?" asked Reyna.

"Oh, we thought about inviting one-hundred people. Not too many." Piper wrapped a towel around her hair. Annabeth blurred the rest of the wedding related questions out. She was happy for Piper, but she wasn't into relationship business at the moment. Annabeth was happy, single and that was all that mattered-

"Will Amunet also come?" Reyna asked as she washed her peeling off. The room fell silent. Annabeth had the feeling she was out of the loop.

"Who's that?" Hazel's face fell.

"You don't know? I thought you wanted to contact Percy?" Annabeth's heart beat faster.

"I might have chickened out?" Piper sighed.

"Avoiding him doesn't resolve problems you know? That isn't the cleverest choice of yours." The brunette ignored stormy gray eyes that tried to shred her apart.

Clarisse ripped off the band-aid as she put cold teabags on her eyes. "She's Percy's new girlfriend."

Annabeth should have seen it coming. It still felt like a punch in the stomach. _Percy's not going to waste his life whining about the past. He moves forward unlike you_.

They told her everything. Amunet was an Egyptian demigoddess, daughter of Hathor, the Egyptian equivalent to Aphrodite, and a runway model. _Of fucking course_, Annabeth spat in her thoughts.

Nyssa pulled out her phone and showed a couple of pictures from Percy's birthday party two months ago. Annabeth was invited but she had loads of work to do and declined. More like she had used her work as a somewhat valid excuse to not appear. The ex-couple promised to meet up again but never pulled through. Regret hit Annabeth like a brutal, cold wave. Percy stood next to a tall and thin beautiful black-skinned girl with a gigantic kinky afro. Her red dress hugged her curves perfectly and Percy's hands were wrapped around her waist. They looked each other deep into the eyes, they were happy, they were in _love_. "Shit," Annabeth muttered. Her mood reached it's lowest.

Nyssa explained how they met. Sally's bakery got hired to cater the After-Show-Party for the fashion brand Valentino. Amunet closed the show as a model and got hooked on the cupcakes. She decided to look up the bakery. As she entered, she saw Percy behind the cash register, and it was apparently love at _first_ _sight_. That happened roughly a year ago. Their mutual demigod friends met her throughout the months and saw the new couple again at his party.

"Are you okay?" Hazel asked. Annabeth nodded stiffly. _Everything's fine. Percy is living his life to the fullest and I'm dwelling in mine. I'm pathetic_.

"They are coming tomorrow. With the rest." Piper revealed. Annabeth's eyes widened in terror.

"WHAT?!" She jumped up. Reyna pressed her back down.

"Annabeth, you can't avoid Percy for the rest of your life," Piper said while crossing her arms. "We get it. You need to heal, and you need to rest. But Percy is also our friend. We cannot and will not choose sides. We want both of you in our lives."

Annabeth nodded. She knew Piper was right and her, the daughter of Athena, the goddess of _wisdom_, was behaving like a childish maniac. "Yes, I would like to meet her. And see Percy again." Her friends smiled at her.

"It won't be that bad," Clarisse promised. Annabeth plastered a fake smile back and nodded. She hoped.

And she regretted everything the minute Percy and Amunet stepped into the beautiful venue the next evening. Annabeth felt underdressed in her lilac wrap dress. She fought the urge to inhale the content of her glass of champagne.

Percy looked good. Tanned, tall and lean as always. His hair was as messy as she remembered but a little bit shorter on the sides. His beard was neatly trimmed. He wore a white dress shirt but left a few buttons open. She could see his defined collarbone and a little bit of his hairy chest. The son of the sea god really resembled his father. Handsome and strong. His hand was around the waist of his new girlfriend.

She radiated the mighty power of the old Egyptian gods; Annabeth could tell that from afar. Her walk was as elegant as one would expect from a model, and Piper, Evan and Jason greeted her with hugs and kisses. _Shit_.

Percy's eyes scanned the room. His eyes fell to the cake and cupcakes he prepared earlier and then made their way through the crowd. They landed on Annabeth who immediately felt called out. Her fight and flight mode kicked in but there was nowhere she could hide. To make matters worse, Percy walked towards her and guided his new love with him.

Amunet followed her boyfriend's stare. Her dark-brown eyes focused on Annabeth. Annabeth prepared for a cold stare or an evil '_ha, he belongs to me, cunt!_' smile. But no, it was even worse. Amunet's eyes twinkled and showed compassion. A beautiful smile broke out on her face. She looked friendly and_ excited _to finally meet her. Her beauty hit Annabeth in the face.

"Wise Girl!" Annabeth hadn't heard that in a very long time. Her heartbeat got out of sync. Percy hugged her tightly and she awkwardly reciprocated. She closed her eyes and inhaled his salty ocean scent. Touching him was electrifying. Tingles went through her body.

"Seaweed Brain." Unfortunately, that moment was kept short.

"Annabeth, this is-"

"Amunet. So I've heard." The daughter of Athena hoped she was able to fake a polite smile.

"Only positive things, I hope." Her accent was thick, her voice luscious and clear.

"Yes, only" Annabeth laughed. _You managed to score my ex. And now you're fucking him. Congrats. _They shook formally their hands. Surprisingly Amunet pulled her over and hugged her properly. The smell of roses and honey hit Annabeth in the face. She blushed.

"Percy!" Will and Nico tackled him. "Excuse me ladies." He apologized.

"Percy the Cat owes me a new t-shirt, William!" The three men walked off and left the two women alone.

"So," Amunet started.

"So?" Annabeth looked up to her.

"I wanted to ask you if you're okay?" Blonde eyebrows lifted in surprise. No, Annabeth did not expect that. "What?" she stuttered. "You look like a deer that has been caught in the lightning." _A deer that has been caught in the headlights_, Annabeth almost corrected her.

"I know that you feel hurt. You haven't handled the break-up very well, no?" Annabeth's mouth stood open and she felt like an idiot.

"No… it's just… We've been friends for such a long time. It's weird not having him around anymore."

Amunet nodded. She understood. "That is normal and okay" she said soothingly. "Dealing with sadness. Everyone handles it differently and it takes time. A lot of time."

_Clearly not much time for Percy_. Annabeth wanted to hit herself. And hit Amunet. "I hope you can find rest and your true love very soon." A sad smile flashed across the young aspiring architect's face. _My one true love entered the room with you._

"Yes, I hope I will." Annabeth wanted to hate her. She truly wanted to. But it was as if you're hating a puppy. A high fashion model puppy.

This was Piper's engagement party and Annabeth refused to make a scene. She knew better and decided to make the best of it. She laughed and danced, had two delicious cupcakes from Percy, sipped a delicious Mojito and even invited Amunet to brunch sometime soon.

The cold harsh truth hit her right in the face when she returned to their apartment two days later. It wasn't Percy and hers anymore. It was only hers. Annabeth checked her calendar. She still had three days off. _Great, making the best out of it_. She grabbed a bottle of wine. No, _two_. And then she grabbed her phone.

"Give me some of your best. Two. No, better four. Now." She opened the wine bottle and poured a quarter of it into her glass.

_The cheapest wine with the highest percentage is the key to eternal bliss. Remember that kids_, Mr. D. once had said. How ironic that his advice applied to adulthood in full terms.

"_Now_? It's almost one in the morning. That costs extra, you know?" The blonde snorted.

"Like I care." She was rather frugal apart from trying to slash down her debt. The person on the other end sighed.

"Alright." _Click_. Half an hour later and Travis Stoll entered her apartment with a tiny package. Demigod express delivery. The Stoll brothers joined their father Hermes and became delivery boys for the mortal and immortal realm.

"Leo sends his regards." Annabeth nodded and paid.

"How are Katie and Melissa?" Travis sighed. They had a little girl three years ago that was able to tire one of the former master pranksters of Camp Half-Blood out. "Melissa got too much from my side combined with her mom's powers. You should see our apartment. All plants are running loose." The demigods hugged and exchanged their goodbyes.

Annabeth opened the box. Four carefully prepped and laced blunts unfolded their sweet aroma. **The best of the best as promised. Leo Valdez**. She put the card aside. Not only did Leo craft beautiful machines and lead a repair shop. The Stolls and he came up with a wonderful idea for a collaboration. With the occasional help of Katie, their flower den was a blossoming business.

Too bad it also reminded her of a certain son of Poseidon. The few times they ordered were amazing. It was a birthday and holiday tradition. Percy ordered, they would hit it together, hit the sheets and almost break the bed in the process. And now she would hit it. Alone, sitting on the couch like the pathetic loser she was.

"Fuck! Stop thinking, Annabeth!" Tears streamed down her face. She wanted to erase the pain, she wanted numb the emptiness of her life, get rid of the demons. She wanted to chase Percy's happy face whenever he looked into the eyes of his new flame out of her mind. She emptied her first glass in one disgusting gulp like in the good old college days. The glass was refilled in no time. In her state Annabeth was wise enough to open the windows. Then she lit the bud and inhaled sharply. The effect hit her immediately like a chariot. Her posture relaxed and a goofy smile appeared on her face. She suppressed a giggle.

Annabeth knew her mother watched. Percy bought her a tiny statue of Athena from a gift shop back in Greece. That souvenir stared; it was judging her. An intoxicated mind was everything that stood against Athena. It was unwise to run away from your pain and to purposefully cloud your mind. Annabeth felt betrayed by everything in her apartment. She should've thrown out all of the owl pillows Percy had given her. But then… Chucking out her mother's sacred animal wasn't really the smartest decision. Mixing alcohol and other drugs was another pretty stupid idea. Annabeth didn't care. Not right now. She would care once the hangover and the migraines started to kick in.

"You are disappointing me, daughter." Her mother's statue becoming alive was unfortunately not a part of being blissfully high. Her booming voice echoed throughout the tiny apartment.

"Who cares?" Annabeth muttered.

"You have brought glory to Olympus and yet you willingly chose decay because of one simple man. That is a true shame."

The blonde chuckled darkly. "After everything he did, after everything we went through you still hate him because of his father. Wow. Now _that's_ dedication." She raised her glass. Annabeth took another pull which was followed by another sip.

"As you can see, he left you. And yet you remain in the past. This is not the life of the glorious Savior of Olympus. The life of a Warrior. He gave you the gift of a new beginning and you are wasting it. I cannot guide you any longer. My power is limited in your realm." Confused Annabeth held still. Then it clicked.

"_You. It was you the entire fucking time!_" she raised her voice. "All the doubts, all the negative thoughts. Me fighting with Percy, me not fighting for our relationship, all the fucking hard times. You planted this seed. It was all your doing! The voice in my head, my _thoughts_… You manipulated them, you manipulated me!"

Athena remained silent. "I have lost the love of my life, _no_, you shoved him into the arms of another woman because of a stupid fucking feud that happened millennia ago?! Something that wasn't our fault? Something we had _nothing_ to do with?! All of this pain was _your_ doing?! _Mother, how could you?!_ How could you do this to your own child?!" Her words came out somewhat mumbled. However, Annabeth's mind was clear enough to process all information.

"The pain you feel will cease to exist come time. And you will thank me for it, daughter."

"I am your pawn no longer, mother." With that Annabeth grabbed the tiny statue of Athena and threw it on the ground where it smashed into a thousand tiny pieces. The blonde cried bitterly. With the highs came awful lows.

The following months Annabeth threw herself into work. A promotion was in near sight. _If Percy moves on, so can I_. She downloaded Tinder, managed to have quick flings, started dating a man named Marcus, broke up with him, had a friends-with-benefits relationship with her college friend Helen which ended after Helen got herself a boyfriend and her colleague Troy was sent off to California after someone had heard them going off in the copy room. It was brutal at first in the office. In reality Annabeth didn't care. Her boss didn't even care which made her care even less. She was the best in her field, no doubt in that.

A few weeks later she received a call from her cousin Magnus who lived with their partner in Boston. They were also getting engaged and Magnus wanted to invite her to the party.

"I hope it's okay that Percy is coming with his girlfriend?" A knife stab straight to her heart. Magnus accidently twisted it further.

"Oh yeah sure." Annabeth replied evasively. "That's totally fine." Luckily for Annabeth, Percy and Amunet didn't show up to the party.

"Percy said Amunet got booked for a show last minute and Sally and Paul are on vacation, so he didn't want to leave Estelle at home alone. School stuff she couldn't miss."

_Thank the fucking gods_. Magnus eyes wandered over her body. "Are you really okay?" he asked.

"I am sick and tired of this fucking question. Bring me the alcohol and let's dance!" He laughed.

"Now _that_ is the right answer! Alex? Let all Hel loose!"

* * *

Brunch with Hazel, Amunet and Piper was a real fight. Annabeth looked for every strategic weak point Amunet had to offer and found none. _Shit_. Annabeth was barely hiding her discomfort. Piper sent her warning looks which Amunet politely ignored.

"Thank you for the beautiful piece, Hazel." _Oh gods, her accent_. It made Annabeth herself almost fall in love with her. _Fuck… Percy_. _Why couldn't he have fallen in love with the troll living under the Manhattan Bridge?_

"Percy says it compliments my skin, don't you think?" Her delicate bracelet was made out of pure gold and featured ancient hieroglyphs.

"It means love,", Amunet assured. Percy had commissioned it for her. Something he never did for Annabeth. Okay, they didn't have the money for it back then but still. It hurt. Annabeth almost gagged. The demigoddess was burning with jealousy.

She didn't know why she did this to herself. Was it spying on the enemy? Was it the remaining jealousy? Of course it was. Or did she just want to be close to the only person Percy was close to at the moment? Then again, that person sitting right in front of her, sipping delightfully her coffee was also the same person that was living in his apartment. And sleeping in his bed.

"Can I do anything else for you?" Sally was happy to see Annabeth again. Although the undereye bags were concerning.

"It's just work, don't you worry Sally. Say hi to Paul and Estelle to me!" The four ladies shook their heads. Sally made her way behind the counter as new customers flooded the bakery.

The doors to the kitchen opened and mighty and handsome Perseus Jackson stepped out. He sighed deeply and removed the hair net. He grabbed himself a blue chocolate truffle cupcake from behind the counter and sat down next to Amunet.

"Well… My break. Finally. Hi guys, hi my love." Amunet kissed his cheek. _Don't freak out. Don't freak out_.

Piper talked about her life as an event planner and Hazel promised beautiful pieces from her new collection and Annabeth got to boast a little about a design competition she had recently won. She was making a name out in the field. Her father was proud of her.

"That's great, Wise Girl!" His smile and his interest were honest. The fact that his arm was laying on Amunet's chair distracted Annabeth, however. His hand went to her neck and massaged it.

_No. This is my thing. Our thing. He did that to me, every time I felt stressed, he_\- The daughter of Athena looked down at her coffee.

"Uh… Percy?" New intern Laurie called from the kitchen. "Wow, five minutes. New record." Percy kissed Amunet goodbye and winked at the rest of them before marching back to Hades. _Gods… I hope they break up._ Annabeth wished she felt remorse for thinking that way. But no. She did not.

* * *

**Alright. That has been part two. One chapter left. Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Holy. Fucking. Shit. 9 reviews? You people are mad! Thank you so much!**

** Anonymously96: You can clearly tell that Athena is my favorite goddess out of the Riordanverse :D**

** AdmetoUltor14, ReyneWriter: Thank you for your kind words!**

** Lilian Smith, Adamcoyne, nyooooooooooommmm: Thanks guys! I also got pretty tired of people not spicing up a potential breakup? There are so many convincing possibilities people, just be creative and think for five seconds! :D**

** Wolfsvain: This is sadly it :( but is has been a fun ride :D**

** guest: your wish is my command ;)**

* * *

_HOW COULD_**_ YOU _**_3/3_

_**Eight months later**_

* * *

Annabeth finalized her big move. She got another promotion and made significantly more money. Goodbye old shitty apartment. Goodbye old shitty memories attached to it. Goodbye roaches. The frame with her latest completed construction needed to be hung on the wall but that had time. Her mailbox was already overflowing with letters and bills. She went through and sorted everything out. A blue envelope caught her eye.

**To Ms. Annabeth Chase**, was neatly written by Percy. Frowning she opened up the letter. Her eyes bulged. She suppressed a choke.

"NO!" she screamed and threw the card far away from her. It hit the window and plopped to the floor. Annabeth crawled back to it with tears making their way. She covered her mouth to silence the sobs.

**Mr. Perseus T. Jackson and Ms. Amunet Gamal**

**Joyfully invite you to share their love and happiness as they unite in marriage.**

**The wedding will take place at the Beach in Camp Half-Blood on April 25****th****…**

"No! We wanted to marry there! _No_!" Annabeth remained lying on the floor for good half an hour. Old memories flooded her head. Percy arriving with the Minotaur's horn. Sailing through the sea of monsters. Receiving the gray strand by holding the sky. Their first kiss in the labyrinth. Their best kiss underwater. Tartarus. Their first I Love Yous, losing their virginities to each other. Moving into the hell they called an apartment. _It cannot be over._

Then she filled out the RSVP card and checked **Yes**.

* * *

Guests were flooding in. Percy almost lost his nerves. His ADHD made things worse. The big day was finally here, and prominent mortal and immortal folk announced their appearances. Today he would marry Amunet and turn her into Mrs. Jackson. He proposed to her after another successful fashion week season for her. Two weeks after her 27th birthday. She said yes and cried like there was no day tomorrow. Grover was his best man and his son Bode kept clopping with his tiny hooves throughout the temporary tent on Half-Blood Beach. Nico had trouble keeping the toddler under control.

"There's a reason why I don't want any kids," he huffed as he received another kick in the shin by the tiny giggling monster. Percy laughed as he witnessed Bode's shenanigans through a mirror.

Then Percy's thoughts went back to the child Annabeth and he could have had years ago. _No_. Today would mark a new chapter in his life with his beautiful bride which would also tie the Greek world with the Egyptian pantheon.

The day was warm and bright for the end of April, the seas as relaxed as he was, and Clarisse and her fellow Ares siblings managed to protect the food from snack thieves. Sally went her way out with the cake. A delicious blue salted caramel chocolate cake enticed with Egyptian honey and almonds. She even made a laced version for the immortal guests. Ambrosia crème and nectar frosting for the Greeks, smy and divine beer for the Egyptians.

Percy bound his bow tie and rearranged his cufflinks. His groomsmen made their way out with toddler Bode to get something to drink. The blinding golden light of the true form of a god made him close his eyes. His eyes fluttered and he saw directly into a pair of amused twinkling sea green eyes. "Dad! You've made it."

Laughing, Poseidon hugged his son so tight he almost crushed his rips. "You don't think war under the sea would stop me from coming to the wedding of my only mortal son, don't you?"

Triton and Amphitrite were also mingling with the guests, according to Poseidon. Delphin kept the soldiers steady in Atlantis. "I'm proud of you son. You've made a good choice with this one." Poseidon didn't even try to hide his aversion for his former lover. Percy brushed it aside. He couldn't change the mind of an immortal god. The demigod tried after the battle in Manhattan and the gods proved yet again, they could not during the following prophecy. "You will grow to love Amunet more after time. I'm sure of it."

According to Nyssa and Hazel, Annabeth had been plagued by poisoned fish and disrupted water pipes everywhere she went. The water in her apartment remained undrinkable. A disastrous earthquake once tore the street in front her apartment complex open. Three people had died. The time around the winter solstice had been the worst for a while. Hurricanes and thunderstorms tormented the nation. Poseidon threatened Athena viciously and Zeus defended his favorite daughter's honor. It stopped recently after Percy and Sally had begged Poseidon to let it go. He promised them he wouldn't force the Olympians to go to war again – at least not in Percy's lifetime. The Lord of the Seas would seek his vengeance eventually.

Seeing Poseidon wearing a formal black suit instead of his normal beach hobo attire was weird. His discomfort was clear. The Lord of the Seas sighed. "I look like your uncle."

He really did. No thunder rumbled outside to Percy's surprise. "He's already seated with his dear wife," Poseidon winked. "Pretty sure frying demigods from different pantheons in front of their parents is something not even he would dare. I will seek your mother, Percy. Enjoy this celebration." He patted his son on the back and left him alone with his thoughts in the tent.

* * *

Annabeth arrived a little bit late. She sat in her car and was trying to calm herself down. _I can do this_. Most people have already been seated. The groomsmen and the bridesmaids were already in place. Chiron would do the honors of blessing Percy's and Amunet's marriage and marry them. Jason and Dakota really went out with the decorations. The beach was white, the seats of the gods matched their godly thrones respectively for the Greek and Egyptian side. Light blue and crème colored highlights captured gazes everywhere. The beautiful dominant archway alone made Annabeth burn with jealousy. _This could have been us…_

"You do not have to stand witness to this." Athena's ghost appeared in front of her. Annabeth was sure she was the only one to see it because other guests and demigods marched straight through her.

"It is rather too late for that, mother," Annabeth muttered through her teeth. Her mother's face remained neutral as always.

"I have apologized for my actions and tried to make amends. You will soon surpass everyone in your field." Annabeth shook her head. Another promotion or big gig meant nothing for her if she remained unhappy. "That doesn't matter. It is too late. You cannot turn back in time." Athena opened her mouth to bring up another point as Annabeth marched right through her. The illusion broke.

"Annabeth!" Thalia still looked like she was fifteen. She chose to keep on her hunter gear. Artemis and her hunters arriving at Percy's wedding was a big deal. Most Olympian gods had arrived. Many major gods from the Egyptian side were also there. Normally Annabeth would have loved to have a peek at Ra, Sekhmet or Nekhbet, yet her mood was not in the right place.

"How are you?" Annabeth hugged her friend.

"Good! We managed to kill the Nemean lion two weeks ago. I made the final blow. Are you okay?"

The blonde just smiled sadly. "I'm just tired." The two made their way to the seating area.

"Have you seen Percy yet?" The daughter of Zeus asked. Annabeth shook her head. Seeing all of her friends and relatives reunited to celebrate Percy's wedding made her head hurt.

"I should talk to him. Go on and look for your seat. I'll see you later." _Now or never, Annabeth_, she tried to encourage herself.

Annabeth marched into his tent. "Annabeth!" Percy's eyes widened. "You look amazing, Wise Girl," he exclaimed.

A small smile appeared on her lips. "You look perfect, Seaweed Brain." Seeing him blush like that, encouraged her even further.

"I-I…" The words were stuck in her throat. "Tell me," he said softly. "You know you can still tell me everything, right? We're still friends." _Friends_. That hurt. She lost herself in his sea green eyes. "Please…" She couldn't look him in the eyes. She started to sob. "Wise Girl, hey…" He hugged her and held her by the shoulders. "Whatever it is it can't be that bad? We went through so much already. Let me help you." He was full of concern.

"Don't marry her."

"_What_?!" Percy stepped away from her. Annabeth wiped away her tears.

"Please… Percy. Don't marry her." Percy was appalled. He was flabbergasted.

"I still love you and I never stopped doing so over the years." Annabeth confessed. She held the hem of her dress so tight it nearly ripped. Vomiting straight on the floor sounded really nice. "I knew I had feelings for you when we were thirteen and you saved me from the sirens. I loved ever since I was fourteen and we danced together in Westover Hall. I fell even more for you during our hardship in the labyrinth. Gods, I was so jealous of Rachel." The confession sputtered out of her. "I did everything during the battle in Manhattan to protect you. I sacrificed myself nearly and you saved me. And then when Juno kidnapped you… I went mad, I went full berserk. We found each other and realized that we were meant to be more, and another prophecy ripped us apart."

Percy shook his head slightly. No, this was wrong. "And then when we found each other again, I fucked up. I completely fucked up and worse… I _gave_ up. I gave up without any fight. Debt and college issues aside… This was fixable. We were fixable. We _still_ are!"

"Annabeth, what has been done, has been done-"

"It was my mother's doing," she interrupted him. Percy's eyes widened.

"Excuse me, _what?_" Annabeth laughed darkly.

"All our fights. All my provocations. All my twisted words were directly manipulated by Lady Athena herself. Over all this time." Percy's face darkened.

"Of course, she would," he muttered. He had been warned by Lady Athena years ago but not even he would have imagined she would reach such extremes. Manipulating her own daughter to get her will. Destroying their relationship. Destroying their happiness. Their dreams and futures. Their time together. Percy knew the gods were messed up. They behaved like small bickering children with superpowers. Athena, the goddess of wisdom out of all matters, stooping so low was a new unpleasant surprise for him.

"Your mother did well." He shook his black curls in disgust.

"She got what she wanted. She got her wish. We've been apart for years and I'm about to marry my fiancé. And now you drop all of this information on me. Right before the ceremony starts."

Annabeth grabbed his arm. Goosebumps. Shivering. An electric shock went through her body.

"What do you expect? What do you want me to do, Annabeth?" His hand ran through his hair. "_Fuck!_" He wanted to punch something. Preferably a certain goddess of wisdom directly in her malefic face. Coincidentally thirteen out of fourteen Olympians showed up. Lady Athena didn't. Quelle surprise.

"Percy, please…" she begged. He couldn't leave her like that. He could not! A look into his eyes and Annabeth knew. "No," she whispered. She could not accept it. Accept the truth. "Please don't."

He smiled sadly. A tear was running down his cheek. And yet he was shaking his head softly. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. I love you. You know I do." His words made her heart beat faster and also destroyed the remaining joy inside her body.

"But I also love Amunet. She is the woman I chose to live with for the rest of my life. The woman who I will start my family with. Lady Hera is in the crowd. You know I mean it seriously. Breaking my oath would cost my life." Her trembling hand covered her mouth. Her shoulders were shaking. _No_. "This is not how real life works, Annabeth. I can't just up and go and leave my fiancé at the altar. I cannot leave another path of destruction behind me. You will have to look forward." She shook her head. She couldn't. "Yes, you can. You _have_ to. This hurts me as much as it hurts you." He grabbed her by the shoulders. "You will forever be my best friend. You will forever be my first love. And I will always cherish you for that. But I have to find my own way. And I know you will find yours. Our paths not crossing anymore was meant to be."

"Percy?" His mother asked from outside.

"I'm coming!" Percy turned back to his former lover. "Annabeth, I'm sorry." He closed his eyes for a short minute. Annabeth read concern and pity in them. "The ceremony is about to begin. If you cannot bear the thought of me marrying… It may be better that you stay outside." He kissed her temple one last time. Then the son of Poseidon left her alone with her thoughts.

Annabeth tried to stop her hectic breathing and get her body under control again. Seeing Percy again had reopened all kinds of wounds. His words cut deeper than a knife, it was as if he tossed her into Tartarus all over again. The difference was she was alone this time. No one was by her side and she had to get out of it herself. Annabeth refreshed her makeup as fast as she could. Her eyes were slightly red, and she reapplied some mascara and lipstick as fast as she could before stepping outside and taking her seat between Piper and Reyna.

"Everything alright?" Reyna asked startled. Annabeth just nodded and cracked a pathetic smile. _My mind is in ruins._ Piper squeezed her hand in encouragement.

_You will not stand between the happiness of my daughter and my son-in-law, mortal_. Annabeth's head turned to the right at a sharp 45-degree angle by a foreign force. Her neck cracked a little bit. Hathor sat on her throne. Piercing black eyeballs saw right through Annabeth. For Annabeth Amunet was a direct visual copy of her mother. The difference was Lady Hathor radiated a kind of ancient power that was unmatched. Hathor's face shifted a little bit and showed her form of Sekhmet, Goddess of War, then it changed into their cow head. Multiple voices echoed in her head at the same time. _We know of your pathetic little attempt of breaking them up. This will be the last time or consequences would be dire. Understood? Your gods cannot afford another war._ The pressure on her neck grew.

"Yes," Annabeth gagged. The invisible hands removed. A scent of lilies and roses crawled up her nose. Annabeth coughed a little bit.

"Here. Take my glass." Neither Piper nor Reyna had noticed anything unusual.

Another goddess found Annabeth's eye. Lady Aphrodite. Her grin was truly wicked. _I told you… I would make sure your romantic life would be an interesting rollercoaster. Romance should never be easy_. Her face shifted from Piper, to Helen, to Sally Jackson.

"How… Why…" she breathed. Annabeth had been wrong. It wasn't her mother's doing. Not alone. Lady Athena always teamed up with the most powerful and reliable people after all. "Huh?" Piper asked.

"No, it's nothing."

A slow mix of the Wedding March set in. The Apollo cabin sang heavenly, children of Ihy played the instruments. Guests rose from their seats. Even Zeus and Hera. Percy looked at his approaching bride. Chiron stood proudly next to his former prodigy. He would do the honors of announcing them as husband and wife. After that, the goddesses of marriage would let them swear upon oath again. Percy was truly happy, and Annabeth felt very ashamed of herself and of her attempt. She could not reciprocate the very same feeling of joy.

"My love," Amunet sighed as her father nodded to Percy.

"My beautiful Amunet." He lifted her veil and held her hand. Amunet's smile outshone everyone.

Chiron's speech was beautiful. He spoke about heroics; he spoke about companionship. Passion, compromising, _love_. It was how Annabeth had always imagined it. Truly moving. They proceeded with their marriage vows. "I, Perseus Jackson, take you, Amunet Gamal, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death does us part." Annabeth's heart shattered into a million pieces.

"Hereby I pronounce you as husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!" Percy leaned forward. The newlyweds shared their first kiss. They sealed their fates. And Annabeth's as the crowd cheered on.

_I love you, Seaweed Brain. I always will._

_**The End.**_

* * *

**So… This is it! My short ending. My sad ending, if you will? My best friend wanted to rip my head off and she isn't even a Percy Jackson fan. Thank you for reading (and hopefully enjoying) my story.**

**Last thoughts? **


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